Photosynthesis
by C.D2
Summary: Cash is running low for our favorite Smallville reporter, Chloe Sullivan, meanwhile a woman moves to Smallville with big plans for the green meteor rocks. Plant like creatures are hungry and Chloe is on the menu.


Photosynthesis

  
  


Title: Photosynthesis

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters so please don't sue! I have no money.

Summary: Chloe takes a job at a local plant shop, but she's in for a lot more then she bargained for.

  


Rating: PG

This is set in between the second season episodes "Heat" and "Duplicity"

  
  
  


"Chloe..?" The familiar sound of Clark's voice had suddenly tackled Chloe's hearing, seeming to snap her out of her trance towards the _Smallville Ledger_. The _Torch_ offices had been relatively desolate that morning, Chloe and now Clark making up the inhabitants.

"Surprised you still remember my name.." Chloe muttered, her eyes not once being removed from the small printed text.

"Chloe, I'm really sorry about not writing that article." Clark stated rather remorsefully. Tanned work books allowed for his tall frame to come to a seat at the chair placed next to Chloe.

"I know Clark. It's just disrupting the time honored editor -journalist cycle has a tendency to get my nerves pushing the tense button. On top of being flat out broke, I've had to extend the three page bio on Principal Reynolds into an extra page, something I'm sure won't be captivating our peers." Chloe took in a small breath, eyes finally being removed from the page sprawled out in front of her and towards Clark.

"I completely understand, and that's why I brought you this." 

Clark lifted up the small bag with the Talon's logo on it and handed it to Chloe with a big grin.

Setting her eyes towards the bag, her mind had almost immediately knew what it was, the faintest smell of caffeine had her previous mood subdued. Reaching out and grabbing the bag, fingers ravenously opened the small bag, withdrawing a steaming cup of french vanilla coffee.

"..It's a start." She shrugged casually, bringing the opening to her lips, taste buds savoring the flavor. 

"But don't think you can just win me over with this Clark Kent, we're talking at least three months more of personal caffeine delivery." Cracking a smile, she set the coffee down next to the _Smallville Ledger_. In reality, the coffee wasn't the only thing that had influenced her to drop her repudiating mood, the mere sight of Clark's smile had the effect of her forgetting all of her troubles.

Clark's eyes had advanced from Chloe's visage and towards the _Smallville Ledger _that lay before her. The red circles and x's brought him to the conclusion that she was looking for a job.

"Job hunting?" Clark asked, a small remnant of surprise in his tone. "Never figured you were the employee type." Clark continued, eyes carefully reading the places she had circled.

"I'm not, but you know what they say, all journalists have their beginnings..." Chloe stating this with unsavory seemed to get rid of it once another taste of the delicious coffee was tasted.

"Let's see..." Clark broke off into a gaze as his hands lifted the paper so it could be more easily seen for the both of them.

"Here's one." He looked up momentarily checking if Chloe had actually been paying attention and not continuing to focus on the drink that seemed to sustain her everyday.

"Typing skills, amiable, $3 bucks an hour-"

"What is it?" Chloe interrupted him, her eyes seeming to show a hint of anticipation.

"Raynord and Sons Attorney at Law assistant." Finding no problem at all, he brought his gaze once more back towards Chloe, only to find an almost offended look.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Attorney's assistant? I'd be better off going to hell and being the Devil's right hand maiden, and even that's bound to pay more."

"Well, you do know what the problem is don't you?"

"Having to be a slave to the system?"

"You might actually have to take orders."

"Ha-ha very funny." Chloe soon grabbed the paper from Clark gently, her own eyes roaming for a more interesting job.

Clark gently inclined his head near the side of Chloe's gladly offering to help her find a job. The thought came to mind as to why Chloe would need one, but remembering his father's weekly diatribe on why he disliked the Luthors sprung to mind. It had seemed that LuthorCorp had made dozens of layoffs that past month. Unsure of whether Chloe's dad was on that list, he figured it'd be best not to say anything.

"This one seems remotely interesting." Chloe said keeping her eyes on the paper.

Clark, following to where her index finger had pointed to, read the text.

"Isely's Plant Inventory?" Clark questioned, making sure that was what Chloe had been talking about.

"Yeah, why not?" Chloe quirked an auburn kissed brow, looking to Clark.

"Pay isn't too bad, $7.50 an hour. By far better then the others, all of them mind you reminiscent to the pay of a Malaysian sweatshop."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to apply." Clark shrugged indicating his satisfaction with Chloe's choice.

The shrill sound of first period bell had alerted both the high school students that their daily routine of attending school was about to start.

"We should go." Clark said, lifting himself up from the chair.

"Only in the literal sense.." Chloe sighed disapprovingly, small hands pushing the paper to a close and tucking it underneath her arms as legs clad in a long denim skirt rose.

"You have chem right?" Clark questioned.

"Yeah, Mr. Morrissey isn't quite fond of me though, not really sure why." Chloe stepped in toe with Clark towards the exit of the _Torch_ offices.

"Could it be because you've skipped his class so many times?" Clark stated with that half joking innocent tone he had.

"All of which have resulted in me and you busting down on the meteor rock induced teenagers pillaging our fair town." Chloe's tone bordered on nobility.

"Yeah, yeah.." Clark flashed a small smile as the two ascended down the hallway. jjj

  


Moving to Smallville wasn't something an accomplished Botanist like Victoria Isely had planned on. A major change could be seen comparing her life in Gotham to that of Smallville. However the middle aged woman had to remind herself why she was here, there was one reason and one reason only–these meteor rocks she had stumbled upon in researching the effects of disasters on plant life.

Standing behind the desk in her newly bought store, she took in a small breath, black heeled shoes pivoting her towards the door hidden in the way back, a large metal lock keeping anything from entering at bay. Bony fingers delved into the pocket of her green dress, retrieving a small metal key. Opening the lock, she gave a check behind her back, making sure no one had been watching.

Stepping onto the wooden steps that led deep down into the basement's confines, her store's opening wouldn't take place until that weekend, so no visitors would be expected. Hands groped at the cement walling to her right for the light fixture. Switching it on, an eerie fluorescent glow emitted from the overhead lights. The colored rays showering upon the test tubes and an array of large and small plants.

Here were her creations, the very thing she seemed to live for. Here were the plants that would skulk down here for a day, then after their procedure, would be brought up to the main floor and be sold. Victoria Isely had big plans for her plants, however help was still needed.

Making her way to a small table that housed an assortment of beakers, she took up one that seemed to glow with an eerie liquidated green substance, the meteor rocks she'd managed to round up from the earth in the woods. Letting her gaze sweep proudly toward a plant housed in a small metal cage, she gave a small tilt to the beaker, the substance being poured into the very fertilizer the plant had been stemming from.

Within a mere second or two, a gentle twitch of its long leave had indicated that the liquid was working. A small smile curled at the ends of her crimson colored lips, everything was running smoothly. She estimated that in about two weeks, her plan would be in full effect. Once she was done, the residents of Smallville wouldn't know what hit them.

  
  


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Packing two separate chocolate pudding cups into two brown paper bags, Mr. Sullivan crumpled up the two bags' tops, the neatly scrawled names of Chloe and Lana indicating which bag belonged to what girl.

"Girls! You're gonna be late!" Mr. Sullivan yelled from the kitchen counter.

The two girls came trudging down the staircase, Chloe reaching the kitchen a few seconds before Lana.

"Morning." Chloe said.

"Good morning sweetie." Mr. Sullivan took a step closer to his daughter, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

"Mr. Sullivan." Lana greeted him with a small nod and a gentle smile, now arriving.

"Morning Lana." Mr. Sullivan matched her friendly smile with his own.

A long sleeved crimson top and a long black skirt was what Chloe had been wearing, a black messenger bag withholding her laptop slung over her shoulder. She craned her neck to one of the bags, noticing the names.

"So, dad.." Chloe broke off for a moment, a forced smile complimenting her features.

"Yes?" Mr. Sullivan looked away from his watch to his daughter.

"Lana and I weren't quite sure what to bring in for show and tell today, think I could bring Mr. Schmookie?" An obvious look of lighthearted contempt was now shown on her face. Lana barely lifting an eyebrow, wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, but nevertheless she remained silent. Mr. Sullivan, also sharing Lana's bewilderment, but making it more known on his face.

"Honey, I'm not quite sure what you-" Mr. Sullivan breaking off, followed Chloe's tapping finger on her scrawled out name on the paper bag.

"Oh."

"Dad, I think you've forgotten all of my birthdays after six years old."Chloe said.

"That's what you get when you have your dad still packing your lunches, right Lana?" Mr. Sullivan swept his look to Lana.

"Um..well-I-" Lana stuttered, her hands fidgeting with themselves. She'd always gotten nervous whenever Chloe and her father had gotten into a small argument, somehow she always ended up having to choose sides.

"Alright well as much as I'd like to continue to put Lana in an uncomfortable state, we've gotta book." Chloe looked to Lana, handing her the paper bag with her name on it.

"Thanks." Lana let out a small laugh, glad that Chloe had saved her.

"Would you girls like me to give you a ride?" Mr. Sullivan asked.

"No, that's alright, we'll take the bus." Chloe replied.

"Alright, I'll see you girls later." Mr. Sullivan gave a small pat on Lana's shoulder before exiting out the back door.

"Ready?" Chloe asked, stuffing the paper bag into her messenger bag.

"Yes, actually." Lana replied.

With that, the two girls followed the route Mr. Sullivan had taken. Stepping out the door, the cool morning's breeze lightly ruffled Lana's white short sleeved shirt.

"Hey, looks like I can't really make the study session after school." Chloe said nonchalantly.

"Why not?" Disappointment tainting her tone, Lana threw Chloe a side glance as they approached the bus stop.

"I've gotta head to this new plant shop to apply for a job."

"Really?" Lana asked, apparently just as surprised as Clark had been.

"Yes, why is it that when Chloe Sullivan brings up taking a job it's like discovering Santa isn't real?"

"I'm sorry, it just strikes me as odd. You seem more the employer type."

"Yeah well, like I was telling Clark, we all gotta start somewhere right?"

  


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The familiar sounds of idle chit chat, slamming lockers, and a mass of footsteps were accustomed to Lana, who was now standing in front of her red colored locker. Inputting her locker combination, the locker door swung open to reveal pictures of Whitney,and Lana and Whitney. Her pastel colored lips tightened a bit, her hand stuffing the English Lit text book into it's proper place in her locker. Hesitating her movements, she looked at a specific picture of her and Whitney out in Miller's field, a common riding spot for the two. She hadn't gotten a letter from him in so long. Worry was starting to creep up on her nerves. She'd often spent many a day trying to convince herself that maybe it had gotten lost in the mail, it was after all international.

"Lana, hi." Clark, greeted her with a small smile, his tall frame leaning gently against the locker next to her.

"Clark." Lana shook her head and blinked forcefully, setting a smile on her face.

Squinting his brows, he looked to her locker to see if he could find anything that would have an affect on her, that's when his eyes came across the pictures of her and Whitney. 

"Don't worry Lana, I'm sure he's fine." Clark said, laying a comforting hand on Lana's shoulder.

Hesitating to say anything, Lana took in a strained breath, trying to force herself not to just break down and cry right there, however an almost involuntary reaction caused for her hand to be placed atop Clark's on her shoulder. 

Clark gave a small smile partly due to the fact that any touch from Lana Lang had the effect of making him go weak in the knees. He tried to do his best to keep his promise to Whitney and set aside his feelings for Lana, but it had been increasingly hard when they shared moments like this, small moments when Clark felt that maybe Lana saw him in a different light.

"Thanks Clark." Lana finally shifted her gaze sideways to view Clark, her hand being removed from its resting spot atop Clark's. "It really means a lot to me, that you care."

"Lana we're friends, you know I'm always here to lend a shoulder to cry on....or a hand." Clark smiled to her, easing his hand off of her shoulder.

Lana giving a small laugh, turned on her heel to allow herself to lean against the locker.

"It looks like Chloe won't be joining us after school today, apparently she's going to be doing her part to help the economy." Lana said, bringing her locker door to a close.

"Yeah, actually, me and her kinda picked out a job at this new plant shop." Clark said, beginning to walk with Lana down the hallway.

"For some reason I can't really picture Chloe as a florist, always thought the first job she'd get would be editor of the prestigious _Daily_ _Planet_."

"Yeah me either, but she does need money." Clark shifted his weight in order to make room for a passing girl walking by him.

"Chloe ain't the only one." Pete broke into the conversation, falling in step beside Lana.

"Tell me about it." Lana said. "Try wasting your money on a conditioner that isn't creamy nor rinsy."

"Unfortunately Clark and I don't have those earth shattering problems." Pete said, giving a gentle slap to Clark's stomach.

"What has the world come to Pete?" Clark said returning the joking smile.

"Looks like this is my stop." Lana stepped past Clark, but paused. "Bye guys" She laughed, walking into another hallway that stemmed from the one the three had been walking.

"Bye" Clark said, letting his look linger on her retreating form.

"Clark, man when are you gonna step up to the plate and head towards first base?" Pete asked, bringing his look from Lana up towards Clark.

"I'm just not sure now would be a good time." Clark reasoned, continuing to walk with Pete down the hallway.

"You mean because Whitney's off and joined Uncle Sam?"

" Lana's got a lot to deal with right now, she doesn't need to watch me make a fool of myself in the process."

Pete shook his head, then gave a small nod to one of his acquaintances that had happened to be passing by.

"Anyway I'll be a little late today, I promised I'd give Chloe a ride to her job interview." Clark said.

"Oh yeah, that's right forgot about that. Hey think maybe if she gets a green thumb, the rest of her will still be green about Lana?" Pete asked, clearly without any apprehension at touching upon the whole subject.

"Pete..."Clark trailed off, averting his gaze as if it would serve as a distraction.

"What? I'm just saying what we all know, but won't talk about." Pete sighed a bit, rubbing his right hand up the yellow long sleeved Fubu shirt he had been wearing. With a quick glance to a wall clock above a set of yellow colored lockers Pete quickly added.

"Hey, I gotta run, trig test." Pete nudged Clark's elbow momentarily before separating a bit farther apart from him.

"I'll see you later." Clark said after him, turning in order to ascend up a flight of stairs to his Biology class.

  


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The pickup truck of the Kent family had rolled to a complete stop right outside of the storefront of Isely's Plant Inventory. As the engine went dead, the two teens exited the car.

"You ready..?" Clark questioned, with a small smile, his head looking to Chloe's shorter stature.

"It's just a job application Clark..it's not like I'm about to go into battle.." Chloe let a small laugh with her reply.

The two entered the store, the pungent smell of plants and flowers hitting their nostrils. The store had seemed almost desolate...no customers..no signs of life at all...or at least no signs of human life.

"Hello...?" Chloe queried, a hand securely set on the strap of her black messenger bag.

"Maybe she's out on break." Clark offered an explanation.

"Maybe...." Chloe broke off, her head looking around towards the vibrant colors of the flowers on the wall. "Mrs. Isely?" She continued

As if on cue, a middle aged woman came forwards from a doorway.

"Hello." Mrs. Isely greeted the two. "Is there something I can help you with..?"

"Uhm, yes actually." Chloe lifted her hand away from the strap of her bag and opened it, retrieving two pieces of paper. " I'm Chloe Sullivan." A business like demeanor now starting to take shape in her movements. "I took the liberty of filling out an application you had posted outside of the store..and was hoping I could possibly take a job?" 

Mrs. Isely had taken the pieces of paper, dull green eyes examining the neatly printed text of her application as well as her workers permit.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Mrs. Isely smiled to her.

Hidden beneath her smile, dark thoughts swirled into her mind. This girl would be perfect for her babies..her creations. She looked towards the boy who was with her, he would also seem to proved a good hearty meal for them too.

"And you..?" She looked towards Clark, arching a brow.

"Oh, I don't mean to apply..I'm just her ride." Clark replied politely.

"Oh." Mrs. Isely said, before resting her eyes back upon Chloe.

"Well, Miss Sullivan, you seem like a nice sensible girl with her feet on the ground, I'd say your hired."

Clearly taken aback by her sudden hiring, but not complaining, Chloe flashed a bright smile, looking sideways to Clark who returned her good nature.

"Wow, I'm..thank you Mrs. Isely." Chloe let out a small laugh. "When can I start?"

"If it's not too much trouble..I'd say you could start tomorrow morning, at 7. I'll give you the basic rundown of what you'll need to do to the plants, and then I'll teach you how to work the register." Mrs. Isely had begun to walk towards the front counter, the two teenagers following her.

"Okay, it sounds great." Chloe nodded in agreement.

A striking sound had pierced the conversation held between the two, quizzical expressions being exchanged from Chloe and Clark. Mrs. Isely gave a quick look towards the door she had just came from, knowing exactly what had happened. One of her creations must have shattered some beakers or so..in a way a good thing seeing as how this was an indication that it was ready for food.

"What was that..?" Clark asked, following Mrs. Isely's look towards the door.

"Oh, nothing to worry yourself about..it was probably some of the stock falling over...I'm afraid in my old age..I just can't seem to set them down properly.." Mrs. Isely had flashed a nervous smile, but of course tried to gloss it over as she headed towards the door.

"I could help you with that if you wanted." Clark stepped in toe with her, towards the door.

"No!" Mrs. Isely snapped, keeping her hand on the doorknob, not opening it yet. Realizing how crude she was, she shook her head. "I mean that won't be necessary...I can handle it." 

"Okay..if you're sure." Clark expressed a feeling of curiosity, brows crinkling as his eyesight led from the door back to the woman.

"Well, it was nice meeting the both of you." Mrs. Isely begun to depart. "I'll see you tomorrow" She said to Chloe, then as abruptly as she had appeared, she disappeared behind the door, a small click indicating that she locked it behind her.

Chloe sharing Clark's equal curiosity had now begun to head straight back the way they had came, dodging through a maze-like field of plants and pots.

"She seems...nice." Clark made his final judgement about the woman.

"Yeah. Nice." Chloe repeated, her mind still coming back to how forceful she was about Clark not helping her.

They both had now entered the truck, Clark turning the car keys in order to start the ignition. 

"If you want, I could give you ride tomorrow morning..and pick you up when your shift ends." Clark questioned, safely securing his seat belt.

"Alright, cool. But why the chivalrous proposition?" Chloe now set her messenger bag on her lap.

"I still have to repay you for not writing that article right?" Clark smiled to her, now beginning to move the car out of it's parking space and onto the main road of downtown.

"Right." Chloe said sharply, almost scolding herself for forgetting about that.

  


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"So is there anything else I need to know?" Chloe asked, a hand pushing the serving tray of the cash register closed.

Her and Mrs. Isely had been going over the basics, ringing up sales, certain needs of different plants, practically all morning. She had begun to grow a bit restless, and she had wondered if that would be going into the amount of her second paycheck.

"Yes..actually, there's one more thing." Mrs. Isely said, directing Chloe towards the ambiguous closet from the day before.

"Alright." Chloe said, somewhat thrown off, but following her anyway. 

She figured now was her chance to find out what was really down there, sure to a normal person it would be a stack of crates full of imported plants and things, but to an intrepid reporter like herself..it could be some poor sweatshop workers..or some plant like creation she had spawned..little did she know her thoughts were closer then she had realized.

Mrs. Isely had now opened the door, stepping aside courteously for Chloe to enter.

"So what do I need to know..?" Chloe peered her head downwards, her eyes distinguishing a wooden staircase that led towards the lower level, darkness consuming all of the view.

"Oh..not much." Mrs. Isely had been growing restless, her plants needed their food, and they needed it now. Once they were at full strength, she'd soon show those professors and the world what her research and intellect could really spawn.

Chloe took a single step onto the somewhat rickety stairing.

"Is there a lightswitch anywhere?" Chloe asked, turning her head backwards in order to take a look towards Mrs. Isely.

Mrs. Isely had held a look of anticipation on her face, a look seeming oddly out of place to the young girl. Mrs. Isely's hand had lashed out now, violently pushing Chloe forwards. A small yelp escaped Chloe's lips as her frame went tumbling down the old wooden stairs. The series of thuds came to a halt at last, Chloe's form laying motionless at the foot of the stairs.

She walked down the stairway carefully, her heels making loud bangs against the wood. Nearly reaching the last few steps, she saw a small stur of Chloe's body. Chloe had been hurt, but not out. Groaning in pain, she felt pain in her legs, and sides, but still managed to scramble to her feet before Mrs. Isely reached her.

Chloe took swallowed hard, an arm wrapped around her stomach to hold her side. Why did she do that? She thought, taking a limping step back 

As Mrs. Isely approached her.

"I'm surprised..I thought you weren't gonna make it." Mrs. Isely stated bluntly, now reaching the foot of the stairs. Her old features illuminated in the eerie green fluorescent light.

"What are you doing?" Chloe's voice had hinted alarm, but she tried to stay cool, wincing here and there with each step back she took from Mrs. Isely.

"Approaching you dangerously." Mrs. Isely quipped.

Chloe had bumped into the end of a table, it's surface housing that of an array of beakers and papers. It however hurting one of her sore spots. She winced again, and her backwards walking had been put to an end.

"You see...Miss Sullivan, the only reason I hired you...was to feed you to my babies." Mrs. Isely arched a brow, and smiled a small devilish grin.

"..What..?" Chloe asked almost breathlessly, clearly not understanding her.

"Those." Mrs. Isely pointed a single finger behind Chloe.

Chloe turned around cautiously, a single stray of blonde, winged hair interfering a bit with her vision in her right eye. There, she had seen a big metallic cage. Inside a huge green, plant with legs roaring hungrily. Her mind racing, she thought of writing a story on it, typical for her in a life threatening situation. Luckily for her, she turned around back to Mrs. Isely, whose hand had gripped a black crowbar that was thrusted at her head. Having enough common sense, Chloe jumped back, her back landing flatly on the table, but soon enough rolled off of the edge. Her frame laying on the cold, hard floor, she had begun to crawl now, painful jabs at her body decreasing any larger movement.

Mrs. Isely's swing had missed, but she now saw Chloe crawling on the floor beside the table her back was previously turned to. That crowbar, laying at her side, she smirked towards the fallen girl.

"Stop, trying my dear...I'm afraid you're days are soon to be over.." Mrs. Isely tilted her head, admiring for a moment.

Chloe, slowly, and painfully rolled onto her back, there to see Mrs. Isely wield her crowbar straight downwards towards her. Chloe taking advantage of the oppurtunity, gritted her teeth and lifted her denim encased leg, the boot of her shoe hitting Mrs. Isely in the gut. Mrs. Isely dropping the crowbar, had been pushed back quite a bit, the wind knocked out of her, all compliments of her old age.

Chloe swallowed hard, taking the time to get back onto her feet. In a blind decision, she started inching backwards, then with her slowing limp, started to run further into the lower level of the basement. The miscellaneous noises of the whatever those things were in the cages had scared her, but she managed to run.

A pain in her ankle from her fall, she let her hand steady herself upon the dark, cold wall of the basement. The blonde teenager had known that she had to stay cool..stay aware..if anything she knew she had to get out of here.

Her head darting to the side, she threw herself around the corner and through a doorway that led into a small backroom. Resting against a single desk, she took her time to catch her breath, eyes shutting tightly, trying to make herself create no noise, possibly to hear if Mrs. Isely had been following.

Hearing nothing, she brought her hand to the edge of the desk, pushing herself up warily to her feet. As if a higher power had granted her a way out, her eyes widened at the sight of the small black phone at the same corner of the desk.

Chloe wasted no time, hands darting forwards to pick up the reciever. Digits dialing 9-1. A tight constriction around her ankle had irritated her sore even more, prohibiting herself from dialing the next number. Looking down, she made an almost disgusted and yet frightened face at the sight of a green tentacle squeezing her ankle.

The pain too much for her to move out as powerfully as she could, she did her best to try and wriggle. The owner of the tentacle pulled with great force, and Chloe fell backwards, her head hitting violently against the edge of the desk, and her back against the cold ground.

Her look of light peace remained, her body being slowly, and gradually being pulled towards whoever, or whatever the tentacle belonged to.

  


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Martha Kent stirred the thick soup in the stainless steel pot over the stove. Her eyes were lowered, steam rising from the bowl. She heard the screen door open, and there she met her husband with a small smile.

"Dinner'll be ready in about 10 minutes." She said, looking back down to the pot.

"Hm, great." A shirtless Jonathan had said, wrapping his sweat slicked arms around the waist of Martha.

Soon Clark had come trudging down the stairs, the usual tanned work boots meeting with the solid floorboards He had been dressed in a simple yellow T-shirt and denim jeans.

"Mom, I'm gonna be late for dinner." Clark broke off, resting his strong hands on the top of one of the chairs at the dinner table.

"How come, son?" Jonathan queried, now breaking off from Martha and putting on a clean white T-shirt.

"Oh, I've gotta pick Chloe up from her first day on the job." Clark unrested his hands, and walked forwards towards his dad.

Jonathan let out a small sigh, hands digging deep inside of his pockets to retrieve the pickup car keys. He handed them to Clark carefully before walking towards the refrigerator.

"Try not to be gone too long..?" Martha said, slicing a few onions into the mix of the soup.

"Sure mom." Clark agreed, giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

Clark exited through the screen door, ascending down the small porch steps. Unlocking the car door, he stepped inside, and prepared to drive off.

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Clark entered the plant shop for his second time, footsteps bringing his tall frame towards the front counter. Except for seeing a customer or two, his eyes hadn't picked up on the sight of his friend.

"Chloe?" Clark questioned, resting a hand atop the front counter's surface.

Still not getting a response, Clark shuffled his brows, his look resting on that doorway Mrs. Isely had come through the day before. His curiosity getting the best of him, she swept his look towards the front, as if to check If anyone was watching. He walked slowly towards the door, halting at it for a moment. Right as he was about to put his hand on the doorknob, it came swinging open, Mrs. Isely's form appearing suddenly before him.

"What are you doing young man?" She looked to him angrily.

"I'm sorry...but..I was looking for my friend Chloe..she called me today and told me when to come pick her up.." Clark looked a bit sheepish, taking a step back from the woman.

"She already left." Mrs. Isely snapped at him, keeping her back firmly against the closed door.

"Are you sure?" Clark asked, seeming it odd that Chloe would just leave on her own.

"I told you she left, now if you don't mind leaving so I can lock up..?" Mrs. Isely lifted both her brows.

"Alright..." Clark said, defeatedly.

Clark turned around, still not completely convinced that Chloe had just up and left after making sure he would pick her up. He gave one last look over his shoulder before exiting, his mind lost in thought.

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Walking down one of the hallways in Smallville High, Clark kept one hand on the strap of his backpack. Eyes searching for Chloe amongst the crowd of his peers. He had called her home last night, but no one answered.

He had begun to head towards the _Torch_ offices, when that's when he had run into Lana.

"Hi Lana" Clark tried to put on a small smile, but his concern for Chloe had diminished it.

"Clark.." Lana too had seemed like she had something on her mind.

"Lana I was wondering if you had seen Chloe lately...when I went to go pick her up from work..her boss told me she had already left." Clark had now come to a halt at the _Torch _entrance.

"Actually that's what I was just going to come talk to you about...me and Chloe's dad went out yesterday trying to look for her..." Lana stepped inside the office slowly, looking back towards Clark.

"No wonder..I tried calling and no one picked up." Clark replied, sweeping his look around the empty office.

Lana had stepped towards Chloe's desk, her eyes roaming through the assorted papers and pens.

"Have you guys tried calling the police?" Clark asked, giving a small glance towards the Wall of Weird.

"Yeah, actually..Mr. Sullivan went this morning." Lana said.

Clark swallowed gently, his mind still coming back to how secretive Mrs. Isely had been. He figured maybe trying to look something up on her wouldn't be too much..but he wanted Lana away, if he found anything he didn't want Lana going over there with him...if anything should happen. Just as he had been thinking, the bell had sounded. Lana had looked towards the doorway, a bit frustrated that she had to go to class when one of her good friends was potentially missing. Once she had stopped at the door, she gave a backwards look to Clark.

"Clark, aren't you coming?" Lana asked, lightly leaning her hand on the wooden frame.

"Yeah, in a minute...I just have to finish up an article I'm writing for the Torch.." Clark's voice sounded a bit distant, he hated when he had to lie to Lana.

"Oh, alright." Lana nodded, standing up straight. "I'll see you later." Lana gave a small wave before fully immersing herself in the hallway of teenagers.

Once Lana had been gone, Clark eagerly engrossed himself in front of the screen of Chloe's computer. A strong hand clicking on the mouse, he had gotten onto the internet. Typing in the last name Isely on a search engine, it seemed like endless pages had popped up, snippets showing where each mentioned Isely..it looked like he'd be in for a long day.

  


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Why didn't her baby want to eat that little blonde girl? Mrs. Isely thought, walking back and forth thinking things over. A bony finger rested gently on her chin, heels clicking against the cement flooring. Was there enough meteor rock liquid to keep it sustained? She looked to a beaker filled with the bright green substance. She was beginning to get alarmed, if it wouldn't eat...then it would only be a matter of time before it would die, and that wasn't an option..or at least that's the way she'd tried make it.

Looking over towards the small cell, she saw the motionless girl sprawled out on the floor, face down...and the plant hadn't even touched her. Mrs. Isely wasn't very happy, there was only so much she could do to raise them, that eventually they'd need human sustenance. She'd show all those professors...all of those non-believers doubting her work..soon she'd show them all.

  


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Clark's lean figure had come to a stop before the locked glass plated door of Isely's Plant Inventory, a look of dead concern filling his handsome visage. Trying to open it, he failed. However, soon, he gave an almost effortless push, and the locked door soon opened, a small crack indicating a piece of the doorframe breaking to the ground.

He walked towards the front counter, his eyes concentrating hard. Soon, all of the items in the room had been subjected to a powerful vision. Examining all of the plants and whatnot, he soon saw a laptop...pens..paper..assortments that he thought belonged to Chloe. Squinting his eyes forcefully, he shook his head and found a black messenger bag lying behind the counter. He gritted his teeth, knowing that this wasn't a good sign.

He once again resumed his powerful X-ray vision, this time using it to look through that mysterious door Mrs. Isely had always kept locked. A brow lifted as the walls became transparent. He saw a cage...a human skeleton lying face down. Keeping it company was some..thing..made up of a small green glow.

It didn't take long for Clark to forcefully slam his fist through the wood, the door tumbling down the wooden stairs with loud bangs. He ran down the steps carefully so as not to trip.

"Chloe!?" Clark called, eyes widening to see that the skeleton lying face down had belonged to her.

Clark came to the metal bars that prohibited his further entry into the cell. Gripping the cold bars, he gritted teeth, the bars bending to the will of his superior strength. However, a crowbar had been slammed against his back.

Feeling this as if it were a tap on the shoulder, he turned around, there finding Mrs. Isely's infuriated look. He gave up on the bars, and caught the end of the crowbar that had been coming down to his face. He used his free hand to easily push her across the room. Mrs. Isely clearly surprised, had soon felt the pain rushing through her back, as she hit the wall with a shocking force. Her body tumbling to a heap on the ground, Clark turned around to try and finish the job he had done to the bars.

Clark cried out in pain, his lean frame collapsing into a heap on the floor. As if he had been subjected to torture, he cried out again. He knew this feeling, the feeling that only meteor rocks could give him. Lifting his head up, which to him at this moment was an incredible feat in itself, his eyes laid rest upon a beaker filled with a bright green liquid.

Trying desperately to crawl away, he swallowed hard, seeing the plant like creature coming forth. It had seemed to be ignoring Chloe's dormant body and nearing him. His brain trying hard to rack itself for something, he soon felt the slithery plant tentacles wrap around his neck, and stomach. The plant like creature lifted Clark off the floor with ease. Clark's forehead matted with beads of sweat shone brightly now against the green fluorescent lighting up above.

With an impeccable force, the plant creature whipped Clark's body across the room, his back shattering the old cement of the basement and his body laying into the neighboring sewer. The feeling of torture had seemed to pass, little by little. Groaning, Clark lifted his head, shaggy locks of dark raven getting in the way of his view. What he could make out was the scrambling figure of Mrs. Isely. Clark swallowed hard, remembering his newly acquired gift. He shook his head, and squinted his eyes.

Within moments, an invisible ripply line escaped from his pupils, igniting the plant like creature into a blazing inferno. The fire eating away avariciously at the creature, it's movements soon crashed into the table, the wooden table now igniting. Lucky for Clark, the green beaker filled with liquidated meteor rock had exploded and burned with the blaze of fire.

Clark got to his feet, realizing just how quickly the fire had begun to eat away at the array of plants and plant like creatures. Knowing his first priority was Chloe, Clark soon broke off into that super speed, the barely bothering heat and the burning of the fire happening in incredibly slow motion. Coming to a halt inside of the cell Chloe's body had been in, he bent down and in one fluent movement, picked her up carefully, cradling her head in the crook of his arm.

His eyes soon scoured the sweltering room for any signs of Mrs. Isely's body, but the flames had risen a bit too high for him to tell. Shaking his head, he knew he had to get out of here fast, before Chloe was liable to get caught in the blaze. 

Breaking off again in his super speed, he managed to make it up the wooden stairs quite easily, beating out the hungry flames that had begun to eat away at the foot of the stairs. He leant his body down, his shoulder breaking the wooden frame of the door easily. This not phasing him, he turned around in mid run, breaking the glass panels of the front door with his back as to not harm Chloe. 

Luckily, his super speed had gotten him into an alleyway that lay just adjacent to the now ablaze building. Resting Chloe gently on the sullied ground, his eyes soon scanned her with his X-ray vision, making sure she had still been alive.

In a matter of minutes, police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances flooded the streets of downtown Smallville. Clark, now picking Chloe up again once more, made his way to an exiting EMT.

"Hey!" Clark called, signaling his attention. "My friend, she, she passed out while seeing the fire, please you have to help her." 

Clark handed Chloe over in the arms of the EMT, whose partner had now gotten a gurny from the back of the ambulance. Settling Chloe's form on it, Clark looked to them.

"I'm coming with you." Clark said, his eyes looking down to Chloe now.

As the three had scrambled into the ambulance, Clark's larger hand enveloped Chloe's smaller one, dark brows crinkling in concern.

  


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"So tell me again how you managed to figure out Mrs. Isley's agenda, and save me from an inferno fate?" Chloe said, a small smile formulating on the lower half of her visage.

"Well.." Clark started, tilting back casually. "When I went to the shop to pick you up, Mrs. Isely said you had already left..I thought it was strange. The next day Lana said her and your dad were looking for you so the inner Chloe in me decided to try and look Mrs. Isely up. Apparently, she was kicked out of the Bio Tech Institute in Gotham city for illegal uses of Bio Tech equipment..so I just went back, found your bag, went downstairs..and got you.." Clark finished, offering a small sheepish smile. Hopefully she wouldn't have asked too many questions..

"Uh-huh..." Chloe's orbs had put him under deep scrutiny.

She decided to get right back into the swing of things once school had started today, on Monday. She didn't like sitting around in a hospital bed being useless..without her laptop, she knew the experience beforehand. However a certain question lingered in her mind.How did the fire manage to start? however she kept this one to herself.

"You know, I'm surprised kinda, usually the hero bit is saved for a special certain young dark haired girl." Looking to him sarcastically, she made light of the rather touchy subject.

"Chloe...you know that I care about you...and the hero thing is for anyone that's in trouble." Clark mused. "So what exactly where those things that were down there?" 

"Well, I didn't really catch a good glimpse...see I kind of got knocked out before I could even tell..and the fire burned away anything that could've helped us come close to the answer to that question.." Chloe a bit disappointed in this, bit down on her lower lip.

"..And Mrs. Isely? I heard they didn't find a body in the debris." Clark said.

"Yeah, apparently she pulled a Houdini and disappeared..probably through the sewers." Chloe answered, dragging her view back towards the screen of her computer in the _Torch _office. "Maybe this was a sign." Chloe said breaking the short lived silence.

"What do you mean?" Clark asked.

'Well..everyone kept on telling me that I wasn't the employee type..and then all of a sudden this happens...maybe this was some sign from a higher power telling me I'm more fit for the employer role..say at the Daily Planet." Chloe laughed a little, using her hand to wipe away an errant strand of winged blonde hair.

"I have to go, promised Lana I'd help her take in some inventory at the Talon." Clark soon rose out of his seat, putting it in the correct place it had been.

"Oh..." Chloe broke off, digits that were once before diligently typing, now stopped. "Ok." Chloe nodded firmly, bringing her view up towards him.

It was typical that something Lana related had to break up their hanging time, but you'd think she was used to it by now. Gritting her teeth, she blinked forcefully, coming to grips that this whole experience hadn't done anything to bring the two closer together.

"I'll see you later." Clark bid her farewell, exiting the _Torch's_ offices.

"Yeah..later.." Chloe muttered unhappily.

A hand minimizing the window of the new article being put inside the upcoming Torch _newspaper_, she opened up a screen filled with files. There, a single click in the file 'CK' bringing up the images of possibly the one perfect night she had had in Smallville..Or nearly perfect.

  
  
  


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